


#25: "Starve"

by theskywasblue



Series: 100 days, 100 prompts [67]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Gen, POV Outsider, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-22 22:03:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10706046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskywasblue/pseuds/theskywasblue
Summary: "I don't want a child like that hanging around here like some kind of stray dog."





	#25: "Starve"

“Listen - maybe we could just -”

“Don’t encourage him,” his wife says, sharply, spooning more porridge into his bowl. “I don’t want a child like that hanging around here like some kind of stray dog. You make him go away, before he steals everything we could sell at market.”

Yasuo sighs, and picks at his vegetables. He loves his wife, and he hates to do it, but when she turns her back, he slips an onigiri off the table and into his pocket. He finishes his breakfast and excuses himself soon after, knowing that if he lingers too long, she’ll be able to look in his eyes, and see what he’s up to.

He doesn’t purposely set out to find the boy, but catches sight of him soon enough. He’s hard to miss - that lean face framed by that bright red hair. He’s filthy today, but it rained all night, and Yasuo is fairly certain the boy has been living in the woods, sleeping who-even-knows-where.

Despite what his wife thinks, Yasuo knows the boy hasn’t stolen anything from their modest garden. He’s only been eating what Yasuo gives him, in exchange for a little bit of help with the chores.

“Here,” Yasuo calls, offering up the onigiri as the boy slinks towards him, like a nervous cat. “Thought you could use something more than vegetables, today.”

“Thanks,” the boy mutters. He considers it a moment, then unwraps it and takes a bite.

Yasuo turns and heads towards the garden, moving carefully with his bad leg along the soft ground. “Can’t expect you to work on an empty stomach, can I?”


End file.
